Pick Up a Guitar - Everything Transformed!

This is a phenomena, I know, because it has "happened to me" multiple times. Put me in a new place. New surroundings. Pick up a guitar. Not my guitar, a guitar owned by someone else, start strumming. Just mindlessly strumming.

Find a new riff, a new chord progression, a new song.

I love when that happens. It's always a surprise. I am always amazed how a new guitar will lead to new things. The feel, the sound - all different, all unique to that particular instrument. It could be a beat-up, crappy guitar, with bad action and cheap wood, difficult to play; or it could be a fine instrument - well-made, aged wood, sweet action, easy to play.

Sort of doesn't matter. Or, I mean, of course it matters, but each type of guitar can offer up something unique. Yesterday I found myself with an old Martin D18 in my hands. The serial number tells me that it was made in the Martin Factory in mid 1971. Old, resonant, mellow. A really fine instrument. A work of art.

And I played it pretty much all day. Sat in a foreign kitchen, notes ringing out in the loneliness. I found a new song, a long, melancholy lament, a haunting instrumental. Hope to come up with words that can match the mood. 

That D18 offered it up. It's the only way I can describe the process.  I picked a guitar up and everything was transformed!